December 2009

Break out of your winter rut Our secret Sierra getaway p. 30

Knockout cookies 27

LIVING IN THE WEST

divine recipes for easy gifts and treats

Delicious roasts + menus for Christmas dinner

our editors love

Perfect gifts (under $25!)

Merry Cranberry Margarita

p. 69

DECEMBER 2009

Sunset.com

Warm & cozy

Bring the cabin look home

ake From 4 master doughs, you can m cookies 20 deliciously different Christmas

By Amy Machnak | photographs by leigh beisch | food styling by dan becker

Sunset December 2009

51

1.

This simple, buttery cookie can carry a wide range of holiday flavors, from nutty to herbal to sweet.

MAKES 16 cookies TIME 11/4 hours 2 cups flour 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. coarse sugar (sometimes called sparkling sugar)*

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Mix flour, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until just blended. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough is no longer crumbly and just comes together.

2. Press dough evenly into a 9-in. round cake pan. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

3. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cut still-warm shortbread with a fork, tines down, into 16 wedge-shape pieces with shaggy edges. Cool completely, then invert pan onto a work surface and carefully separate cookies.

Make ahead: Up to 5 days. Store airtight up to 1 week. *Find coarse sugar in the baking aisle.

PER COOKIE 189 Cal., 54% (103 cal.) from fat; 1.7 g protein; 12 g fat (7.3 g sat.); 20 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 38 mg sodium; 31 mg chol.

... and 4 twists Prepare Shortbread (recipe precedes) through step 1. Press dough evenly into the bottom of a greased 9- by 9-in. baking pan.

Bake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 3 tbsp. butter, 1/3 cup honey, and 1/3 cup sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 cup each toasted whole almonds, pecan halves, salted cashews, and salted pistachios. Carefully spoon mixture over shortbread and continue to bake until nuts are toasted and liquid is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Use a serrated knife to cut into 16 squares; cut each square diagonally to make 32 triangles.

Lemon rosemary buttons

Prepare Shortbread (recipe precedes), adding finely shredded zest of 1 lemon and 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary in step 1. Form dough into a disk; chill 30 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough 1/2 in. thick. Cut dough into circles with a 11/2-in. cookie cutter. Arrange cookies 1 in. apart on baking sheets and chill 15 minutes. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Mix 11/2 cups powdered sugar with 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice and the finely shredded zest of 1 lemon. Spoon 1/2 tsp. glaze over each cooled cookie, spreading with back of spoon, and press 1 rosemary sprig into glaze. Makes 32.

52

Sunset December 2009

Apricot-pecan crumb bars

Prepare Shortbread (recipe precedes) through step 1, reserving 1 cup dough.

Press remaining dough into the bottom of a greased 9- by 9-in. baking pan. Spread 1 cup apricot preserves over dough. In a bowl, combine reserved dough with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 cup pecan halves and crumble mixture over preserves. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let cool completely, then cut into 16 squares.

Raspberry window shortbreads

Prepare Shortbread (recipe precedes) through step 1, form into a disk, and chill 30 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough 1/8 in. thick. Use a selection of 11/2-in. decorative cutters to cut as many shapes as you can, making sure you have an equal number of each shape to form a top and a bottom, and rerolling scraps as needed. Arrange cookies 1 in. apart on baking sheets. Use a variety of smaller cutters to remove center from half of cookies (the tops). Chill on sheets 15 minutes; then bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Spread each whole cookie with about 1/2 tsp. raspberry preserves. Sprinkle powdered sugar over cut-out cookie tops, or glaze them with a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar and 21/2 tsp. milk. Set tops on jam-topped bottoms. Makes 26.

Butter

This is the most important ingredient in baking. Smooth and slightly sweet, it adds moisture, body, and flavor to whatever you make. And unlike shortenings and artificial fats, butter does literally melt in the mouth.

Our top butter Straus Family Creamery, Marshall, CA The only California milk producer that runs both an organic dairy and an organic creamery, Straus makes outstanding butter.

It’s crafted in small batches and has incredible flavor.

The butterfat content is 85 percent, similar to European butters (American butters are typically about 80 percent). strausfamily creamery.com or 415/663-5464.

Left: thomas j story; prop styling: emma star jensen

Honey caramel nut bars

Sunset December 2009

53

54

Sunset December 2009

2.

Don’t overbake these! They’re best when slightly gooey.

MAKES About 40 cookies TIME 30 minutes, plus chilling time 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, such as Guittard, chopped 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup flour 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. Put chocolates and butter in a medium metal bowl and set over a pan filled with 1 in. simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in eggs and sugar, mixing until combined. Then whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Chill dough, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.

2. Let dough sit at room temperature 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1 tbsp. portions of dough, rolling each into a ball, and put onto sheets 1 in. apart. Bake cookies until they no longer look wet on top, about 8 minutes.

Let cool on baking sheets.

Make ahead: Batter up to 1 day; baked cookies keep up to 2 days, stored airtight.

PER cookie 86 Cal., 56% (48 cal.) from fat; 1.4 g protein; 5.3 g fat (2.8 g sat.); 11 g carbo (0.8 g fiber); 27 mg sodium; 19 mg chol.

... and 4 twists Peanut butter thumbprint cookies

Prepare Chocolate Decadence Cookies (recipe precedes) through step 1. Continue with step 2, forming cookies into balls and setting on prepared baking sheets. Press your thumb into center of each cookie ball, making a small well. Fill a resealable plastic bag with about 1/2 cup peanut butter. With scissors, snip off 1 corner of bag; squeeze about 1/2 tsp. peanut butter from bag into each well. Bake as directed. Makes 40.

Right: thomas j story; prop styling: emma star jensen

Chocolate peppermint patty cookies

Prepare Chocolate Decadence Cookies (recipe precedes) through step 1. Continue with step 2, using your palm to press dough balls into 1/4-in.-thick rounds. Bake as directed and let cool. In a bowl, mix 3 cups powdered sugar, 4 tbsp. milk, and 3/4 tsp. peppermint extract. Spread 1 heaping tsp. peppermint icing onto the flat side of 1 cookie. Top with flat side of a second cookie to form a sandwich, pressing together to squeeze filling to the edge. Roll edge of cookie in crushed and sifted candy canes. Makes 20.

Hazelnut Nutella sandwich cookies

Prepare Chocolate Decadence Cookies (recipe precedes), mixing 1 cup chopped hazelnuts into dough in step 1. Continue with step 2, using your palm to press dough balls into 1/4-in.-thick rounds. Bake as directed and let cool. Spread the flat side of 1 cookie with about 1 tbsp. Nutella and sandwich with another cookie. Makes 20.

Double chocolate cookies

Prepare Chocolate Decadence Cookies (recipe precedes), chilling dough 30 minutes in step 1, then mixing 1 cup white chocolate chips into dough. Chill dough another 11/2 hours. Continue with step 2, forming and baking cookies as directed. Makes 40.

Chocolate

With nuances that can range from floral to nutty to tropical, chocolate is the most complex of baking ingredients. It comes in a variety of forms—block, bar, powdered, chips, and nibs; all can be used in baking, as can milk, white, and dark chocolates.

Our top chocolate Guittard Chocolate Company, Burlingame, CA Family owned and operated for four generations, Guittard sources the highestquality cacao beans, from South America to West Africa to the South Pacific.

Then Guittard’s blenders combine the beans to create chocolates perfect for both baking and eating straight from the package. guittard. com or 800/468-2462.

Sunset December 2009

55

3.

This is a big-batch recipe, so we recommend using half the dough for gingersnap sandwiches and the rest for the dots or snowflakes.

MAKES 100 cookies TIME 1 hour, plus chilling time 1 cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses 1 large egg 31/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. each ground cloves, nutmeg, and freshly ground black pepper

1. Beat butter and brown sugar together in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until well blended. Mix in molasses, then egg, until blended, scraping bowl as needed.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to butter mixture on low speed, mixing until combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 3 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough. On a generously floured surface, roll out each disk 1/8 in. thick. Using round or square 21/2- to 3-in. cookie cutters, cut out dough and arrange circles about 1 in. apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (use a small spatula to transfer). Reroll scraps as needed.

5. Bake cookies until dry-looking and just starting to brown on edges, about 8 minutes. Let cookies cool in pans on racks.

Make ahead: Chill dough (step 3) up to 1 week. Store baked cookies airtight up to 3 days.

PER cookie 46 Cal., 37% (17 cal.) from fat; 0.5 g protein; 2 g fat (1.2 g sat.); 6.8 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 39 mg sodium; 7 mg chol.

... and 4 twists Prepare Gingersnaps (recipe precedes).

Spread 1 tbsp. prepared dulce de leche (find at well-stocked grocery stores and Latino markets; you’ll need 3 cups of filling for 50 sandwiches) on the flat side of 1 cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Makes 50.

Gingersnap ice cream sandwiches

Prepare Gingersnaps (recipe precedes).

Scoop about 2 tbsp. caramel or vanilla ice cream onto the flat side of 1 cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Freeze airtight until firm. Makes 50.

Sugar- and spice-dusted ginger cookies

Prepare Gingersnaps (recipe precedes) through step 3. In a bowl, mix 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Pull off dough in 1 tbsp. portions from disk, roll each into a ball, and drop into sugar mixture. Swirl to coat in batches of 3 or 4, then transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake as directed. Makes 100.

56

Sunset December 2009

Lemon meringue–filled gingersnap snowflake cookies

Prepare Gingersnaps (recipe precedes) through step 4, using snowflake cutters to cut various sizes*. Bake as directed. Put 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 3 large egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over a pan filled with 1 in. simmering water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until egg whites are warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Put bowl of warm whites on mixer and mix on medium speed until cool and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Stir in finely shredded zest of 1 lemon. Fit a gallon-size resealable plastic bag with a 1-in. star tip, snipping hole in corner of bag for tip to fit snugly (or use a pastry bag). Half-fill bag with meringue. Gather bag at top and gently pipe about 2 tbsp. meringue onto flat side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Dust cookies on both sides with powdered sugar. Makes 50.

Make ahead: Chill dough (step 3) up to 1 week.

Store baked cookies airtight up to 3 days. Cookies can be filled up to 5 hours ahead.

Spices

Just a pinch or two of pale powdered ginger, toasty cinnamon, or deep brown cloves can transform the simplest cookie into an extraordinary experience.

Our top spice source Savory Spice Shop, Denver On the shelves of this store is a staggering variety of exotic seasonings (for instance, 20 kinds of salt) and dried herbs. The shop grinds spices weekly and sells them in quantities ranging from a half-ounce to a pound, making it easy to keep your pantry stocked with the freshest inventory. savoryspiceshop.com or 888/677-3322.

Left: thomas j story; prop styling: emma star jensen

Dulce de leche gingersnap sandwich cookies

*

Along with widely available fluted round and square cookie cutters, we used a snowflake cookiecutter set from Off the Beaten Path ($12; cookiecutter.com).

Sunset December 2009

57

4.

These cookies look delicate but are extremely forgiving to work with—which makes them easy to shape and fill.

MAKES 20 cookies TIME 45 minutes 1/4

cup unsalted butter cup local honey 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. flour 1/4

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, melt butter with honey over medium heat. Add sugar and salt and whisk until well combined. Add flour and continue to whisk until no lumps remain. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

2. Line 2 flat rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spoon 1 heaping tsp. batter onto sheets about 4 in. apart (they will spread a lot).

3. Bake until dark golden brown and small holes appear throughout, 10 to 12 minutes. Keep oven on. Let cool on tray until starting to firm up, 2 to 3 minutes. While cookies cool, use a paring knife to separate any cookies that have melted together and to shape each into a circle. Working in batches of 3 or 4, carefully peel cookies off paper and lay over a rolling pin.

Let cool on pin until completely crisp, about 3 minutes. If cookies firm up before you can shape them, put baking sheet back in the oven to warm slightly, about 1 minute.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day; store airtight.

PER cookie 49 Cal., 41% (20 cal.) from fat; 0.2 g protein; 2.3 g fat (1.5 g sat.); 7.3 g carbo (0 g fiber); 16 mg sodium; 6.1 mg chol.

Honey almond crisps

Prepare Honey Lace Crisps (recipe precedes), through step 2. Bake until batter starts to bubble and spread, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle each crisp with 1 tsp. sliced skin-on almonds. Continue baking as directed. Makes 20.

Honey sesame crisps

Prepare Honey Lace Crisps (recipe precedes), mixing 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds into batter in step 1. Bake as directed.

Makes 20.

Salted honey crisps

Prepare Honey Lace Crisps (recipe precedes) through step 2. Bake until batter starts to bubble and spread, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle each crisp with a large pinch of coarse sea salt. Continue baking as directed. Makes 20.

58

Sunset December 2009

Orange cream–filled honey crisps

Prepare Honey Lace Crisps (recipe precedes) through step 3, forming cookies into a small cylinder shape around the handle of a wooden spoon and holding until firm (a few seconds); slide off when cool. Whisk together 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and the finely shredded zest of 1 orange until firm peaks form. Fill a large resealable plastic bag with cream, then snip a 1/4-in. hole in 1 corner. Pipe cream into cookie cylinder from each end. Serve immediately. Makes 20. N

The character of any honey depends on the source of the nectar that the bees sip, and on the season; both contribute to color and flavor. Honey used in baking adds moisture and a haunting yet robust taste.

Our top honey McClendon’s Select, Peoria, AZ In the desert of southern Arizona, McClendon’s harvests honey from beehives set among its many citrus trees (the farm’s other business is growing 200 kinds of organic produce) and from the wildflowers in the area. We like the mild-tasting orangeblossom honey and the desert-blossom honey, which is darker and heartier. mcclendonsselect.com

Left: thomas j story; prop styling: emma star jensen

Honey

... and 4 twists

FROM TOP Honey lace crisps, honey almond crisps, honey sesame crisps, orange cream– filled honey crisps, and salted honey crisps

Sunset December 2009

59